St.
Elsewhere was
an award winning hospital drama that aired from 1982 to
1988 on NBC. It was written by the Hill Street Blues
writers and carried on some of that show’s style in
regard to ensemble casts and continuing story lines.
The show had a big influence on future medical dramas.
Many people consider it to be one of the greatest shows
ever produced. This series basically featured the lives
of doctors and interns as they shuffled in and out of
St. Eligius Hospital. Some of the famous cast members
included Mark Harmon as Dr. Robert Caldwell, Howie
Mandel as Dr. Wayne Fiscus, Denzel Washington as Dr.
Phillip Chandler, Ed Begley, Jr. as Dr. Victor Ehrlich,
and Bruce Greenwood as Dr. Seth Griffin.

The
action of the show took place in the fictional, decaying
St. Eligius teaching hospital, that was situated in a
poor Boston neighborhood. The name of the show is a
slang term in the medical industry to refer to hospitals
with less means that would generally serve the under
privileged, which is what St. Eligius did. Many of the
stories focused on the staff’s personal problems as they
tried to serve their patients the best they could. The
show dealt with subjects like death, AIDS, and
addiction, often using black comedy to curve the edge.

Scroll to the bottom of this page for more St. Elsewhere videos
and full episodes